The present invention relates to an ankle control system and more particularly, to an ankle control system, which provides superior yet comfortable support while allowing a full range of movement required for walking, running, and jumping. The present invention also relates to a method for controlling an ankle.
Ankle sprains, contusions, arthritis, and tendonitis are common occurrences. For example, one of the most common causes for sprains are overextension of an ankle during athletic activity. Of course, numerous other situations exist where ankle injury is sustained. As such, for athletes and non-athletes alike, a need exists for an effective, comfortable ankle support, both to prevent and to help remedy these various ankle injuries. There are three common types of sprains—1) inversion, whereby the foot folds inwardly, 2) eversion, whereby the foot folds outwardly, and 3) plantar flexion/inversion, whereby the foot folds both inwardly and downwardly. The first and third of these types of injuries is made particularly painful because of damage to the ligament controlling the lever motion of the foot with respect to the ankle, which occurs during plantar-flexion and dorsi-flexion, the two movements necessary for walking, running, and jumping.
Certain types of sprains are further characterized as “high,” depending on the ligament or ligaments affected. Individual ankles and types of sprains vary and must be treated and prevented accordingly to achieve a desired effect, which depends on the relative positioning of the support applied. For example, many sprains often affect multiple ligaments, and thus call for support accounting for each affected ligament. For example, during treatment once one ligament has healed, efforts to remedy a sprain should be focused on supporting any other ligament still affected. Moreover, individual ankle sizes and shapes vary from individual-to-individual and therefore respond differently to various positioning of support.
Heretofore several attempts have be made to provide adequate and comfortable support to remedy or prevent these types of injuries.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,486 issued to Hely (“Hely”) relates to a boot-like body member having a pair of stabilizing straps both fixedly attached at the rear of an ankle in one particular, immovable position. This configuration does not allow for adjustable positioning of these straps in accordance with various types of sprains, and further requires two straps, which do not tighten as effectively as a single strap around the rear portion of the boot. Hely fails to account for the various positions of sprains along the vertical length of the ankle, and includes no mechanism directed to controlling foot-ankle lever motion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,370 issued to Kallassy (“Kallassy”) relates to an ankle support having a lateral strap, a medial strap, and a lateral strap. Kallassy also fails to provide adjustable positioning accounting for the height of a sprain, and is ineffective in providing lever motion control. Kallassy's lateral strap is attached only to the lateral side of the ankle. Kallassy therefore does not provide an effective way of controlling the lever motion of the foot.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to remedy the defects of prior ankle control systems, and, in particular, to provide an ankle control system that is lightweight, easy to wear and effective when worn in any type of shoe.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide an ankle control system that affords control over the lever action, i.e., lever motion, of a foot to remedy and prevent plantar flexion/inversion.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide an ankle control system that flexes to conform to the malleolus while providing rigid support.